'Last Week Tonight' examines Presidential Libraries and makes an offer

After three days of the federal government shutdown, I was ready for a change of subject. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver provided one with last night's Presidential Libraries.

John Oliver discusses what presidential libraries are exactly, how presidents use them to fundraise in office, how Donald Trump might make existing problems even worse and – of course – some stuff about one president’s unique inseam.

One of my favorite phrases to write on this blog is that it's a good day when I learn something new, and the first new fact I learned from this video is that the Clinton Presidential Library had a temporary exhibit of giant animatronic bugs. Had, because it opened and closed in 2017. Darn.

A fact I probably knew already but the video reinforced was that presidents raise funds for their libraries but then donate them to the federal government, which then runs them. That means the people who run them are federal employees, which means that, in the mind of Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, they work for him, so he thinks he can order them around. That led to one of Hoover Cleveland's staffers "requesting" a sword from the Eisenhower Presidential Library, the library's director refusing, and then losing his job. File that under "no good deed goes unpunished."

The flip side is that "no bad deed goes unrewarded." This includes the suit over the 60 Minutes interview of Kamala Harris that Paramount settled for $15 million to Hoover Cleveland's presidential library fund, which people suspect included CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as part of the deal. No wonder John is reacting negatively to the the rumored Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which would continue his hostile relationship with HBO's corporate owners.

Speaking of shady dealings, I'm glad John mentioned the gift 747 from Qatar that will go from the Air Force to the Hoover Cleveland's presidential library upon Hoover Cleveland leaving office. I was on vacation when that was in the news, so I didn't blog about it then. I'm blogging about it now.

As for the sculpture for pardon suggestion, it's not quite the RV from John Oliver examines Clarence Thomas and makes him an offer on 'Last Week Tonight' in exchange for Justice Thomas retiring, but it's close. Too bad it will probably have the same result, no takers. Again, darn. I wish Thomas had retired.